Attitude
Attitudes are often the biggest barrier faced by people with disabilities, shaped by societal norms and beliefs, and can either limit opportunities or, when positive, empower individuals to achieve their potential.
What Do We Mean By Attitude?
Attitudes are often the biggest and most common barrier that persons with disabilities face in their lives. Attitudes are a complex collection of beliefs, values or feelings which describe the way we think or feel about certain situations or people. Our attitudes to others are very often framed by the societal ‘norms’ and ‘customs’ that we learn from childhood. Special attention needs to be paid to attitude, as the way we think about something, strongly influences what we do!
What can you find in this section?
Attitude As A Barrier
People with disabilities very often experience negative attitudes from their close environment. In some countries, disability is perceived as a curse and is associated with witchcraft or thought to be caused by some wrongdoing in a previous life.Â
Such beliefs make the family as well as the community feel ashamed about their members with disabilities, excluding them from their gatherings and services offered by the government.
A widespread belief is that people with disabilities are ‘not productive’ and cannot study and work as persons without disabilities. For example, parents may believe that their daughter or son with a visual impairment cannot study and therefore, they decide not to invest in their education.
As a result, the wrong perception of parents about disability hinders their child’s access to education, minimizing their chances of employment later on.
Negative attitudes can both be a conscious thought, or a subconscious thought, where you are not aware that you think this way.Â
Besides people having negative attitudes towards people with disabilities, people with disabilities themselves may also feel that they are worthless and in need of support. They may lack self-esteem and feel unable to learn new things.
Self-stigma and limiting beliefs are complex issues but far too often deeply felt by people with disabilities themselves.
Attitude As An Enabling Factor
Positive attitudes to disability may serve as an empowering factor that can stimulate people with disabilities to study, acquire a profession, develop skills and live a more independent life.
For example, a child with a disability who is supported by their parents can develop age self-confidence from an early and belief in their abilities and talents.
In an organization, company or learning institution, community, including management has a vital role to play in shaping and modelling the attitudes towards disability. If leaders show respect to staff, students and program participants with disabilities, it may reduce discrimination among the wider community, thereby offering persons with disabilities more space and opportunities to participate.
The Impact Of Language
Language is a powerful tool for driving prejudice and discrimination. This is particularly so for disability issues. Historically, persons with disabilities have been labelled or called names to emphasize that they are different and do not conform to the societal norms of abilities and beauty. In some cultures in Africa, as in many other parts of the world, individuals with disabilities are addressed by their impairments rather than by their given names.
By using appropriate language, we can…
- Shape positive attitudes and perceptions and
- Avoid keeping up old stereotypes
- Support young women and men with disabilities to develop self confidence, agency and voice